Bench rest rifle



W. E. LEEK BENCH REST RIFLE Oct. 4, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 28, 1952 @QNX INVENTOR. WAY/V55. ff/f ATTORNEYS Oct. 4, 1955 Wl E. LEEK 2,719,460

BENCH REST mmm Filed March 28, 1952 5 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. WA Y/VE .E 5E/f A TTOHNEYS W. E. LEEK BENCH REST RIFLE Oct. 4, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 28, 1952 INVENTOR. WAY/Vf E. L EEK ATTORNEYS BENCH REST RIFLE Wayne E. Leek, llion, N. Y., assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application March 28, 1952, Serial No. 279,006

11 Claims. (Cl. 8937) This invention relates to a firearm and more particularly to a firearm in which the assembly consisting of barrel, receiver, and tire control mechanism recoils freely in the stock during the time interval in which the projectile isv guided by the barrel.

When the conventional rearm is fired, the assembly of barrel, receiver, and fire control mechanism is intended to recoil as a unit with the buttstock against the opposing voluntary and involuntary reactions of the shooter. It is a well-known fact that these reactions are so variable that not even two expert shooters can shoot the same arm and consistently strike a given target without adjusting the sights to compensate for their individual holding style. It is. also well known that any given shooter can shoot consistently only to the extent that he has been able to train himself to consistency in every detail of the manner in which he sights, holds, and tires his arm. Further, the nature of the stresses applied by recoil is such that the fastenings securing the arm to the stock are severely strained and any shifting may drastically change the shooting characteristics of the arm.

The recently revived and currently popular sport of bench rest shooting places a premium upon extreme accuracy and matches are frequently won by differences in group size which would not be of practical significance against flesh and blood targets. Such refinements, however, are of great practical significance in the development of new arms and cartridges, particularly for long range shooting.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of an extremely accurate firearm in which the effect of the human element has been reduced to a minimum, and the principal remaining variable is that of the ammunition alone.

I have noted that the principal variable in individual shooter style seems to be the resistance with which the shooter opposes the displacement of the arm upon ring. Accordingly, I contemplate that one of the most effective means of freeing the arm from the effect of shooter reaction is to so support the arm that it will be, as nearly as possible, free in space during the time a bullet is being guided by the barrel. To that end, I propose to mount the assembly of barrel, receiver, and tire control mechanism of my improved firearm for free recoil along a line concentric with the bore during at least the time required for the bullet to pass through the barrel. I further propose to form a rigid stock in which the firearm may lay in a substantially V-block type of mounting secured almost wholly by the force of gravity acting on the firearm per se. In this way, the shooter may direct the line of fire but variations in his holding style can have but little effect upon the shooting characteristics of the arm.

The exact nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will be more clearly apparentv from consideration of the following specificatlon, referring to the attached drawings in which: i

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view through a firearm constructed in accordance with my invention.

States Patent O ice 2 Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the buttstock unit with the assembly of barrel, receiver, and re control mechanism removed therefrom. A

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a bench support for such an arm.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, it may be seen that I have provided a rifle comprising an assembly of barrel, receiver, and fire control mechanism of substantially conventional form -consisting of a heavy barrel 10, receiver 11, and re control mechanism 12. The barrel is preferably cylindrical in form rather than tapered so as to provide either a continuous bearing surface or two longitudinally spaced cylindrical bearing surfaces of like diameter and coaxial with the axis of the barrel. The conventional telescope mounting blocks 13 are secured to barrel and receiver. The receiver may be of any convenient type, although vI have found that the use of the mechanism described in U. S. Patent No. 2,473,373 to Howell and U. S. Patent No. 2,585,195 to Walker, provides the ultimate in safety and in uniformity of the support aorded to the cartridge case. The fire control mechanism 12 also may be of any convenient type, such as that shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,514,981 to Walker and Haskell, although I prefer to use with any fire control a set trigger, such as the single set trigger illustrated in the patent to Mathew H. Canjar, No. 2,556,025, June 5, 1951. The elements thus far described are not of my invention and are not therefore described in detail. For detailed drawings of these components and for further description, reference may be had to the patents cited above.

The stock unit, indicated generally by the numeral 14 and shown in plan in Fig. 5, comprises a rigid frame member 15 which may conveniently be formed from a channel member of a convenient structural aluminum alloy. Mounted within this channel are a pair of similar base blocks 16 and 17, each arranged to support at right angles to each other a pair of axles 18 on which rollers 19 are rotatably mounted, preferably by means of precision roller bearings, such as, for example, the bearing construction shown in Fig. 2 and illustrated in more detail in U. S. Patent No. 2,099,660. These two pairs of rollers -form parallel V-ways in which the cylindrical barrel 10 may be received for lengthwise movement along its axis.

When the barrel is so received on the V-rollers, it makes a substantially point contact with each roller, thus displacing lubricants or other material which may be on either barrel or roller and assuring consistency in Vthe line of movement. The lower portion of the channel frame 15 is cut away to receive the fire control mechanism 12 and the trigger thereof projects into a trigger guard 20 provided with a ferro-magnetic element 25. This ele,

ment is arranged to contact the poles of a magnet 26 and thereby to provide a forward stop for movement of the barrel. netic element releasably retains the barrel in its forward Patented Oct. 4, 1955r The attraction of the magnet for the ferromagposition with a force which is sui'licient to retain the arm in forward position under all normal Conditions and which can be relied upon to remain substantially constant. In sommen; with ether magnetic devices, Onssa slightsspsration has been made the attractive force will rapidly vanisl'n The forces which oppose the magnet are those of gravity when the arm is pointed slightly upward and the slight force required to pull the set trigger. Obviously, the positions of the magnet26 and element 25 may be interchanged and in the claims the terms ferromagnetic elements exerting an attractive force upon each other are intended to include the magnet 26 and element 25 in either relative position. Obviously the magnet 2,6 may be either an electro-.magnet or a permanent magnet, although the latter is preferred for the sake of simplicity. Y

I t Will be appreciated that with any ritled' arrn there will be a torque reaction resulting from the application of a spinning force to the bullet. This force is resisted by a roller l27 similar to the V-rollers and supported in the base of the frame to bear on a torque resisting bearing surface which may conveniently be a cylindrical member 2,8 of drill rod, or the like, supported on the block 24 in parallelism with the bore of the barrel. A similar cylindrical member 29 is mounted on the opposite side of the block 24 likewise in parallelism with the axis of the barrel and defines an upwardly facing bearing surface on which a flexibly mounted roller 30 bears, urging the member 28 to follow the roller 27 and exerting a slight downward force resisting any tendency of the barrel to jump away from the V-rollers when the recoil plate is stopped.

In an exemplary embodiment of my invention I have provided for a free recoil of about one-fourth of an inch. Although it may seem that the stopping of the assembly of barrel, receiver, and fire control mechanism by the recoil plate after so short a recoil would exert a disturbing influence on the trajectory, I have found by careful timing tests that the lowest velocity projectile I have found it practicable to use is out of the barrel in one milli-second or less, which is a considerably shorter period of time than that required for the assembly of barrel, receiver, and fire control mechanism to be accelerated and to recoil for one quarter of an inch. Thus, during the time the bullet is being guided by the barrel the assembly of barrel, receiver, and fire control mechanism is substantially unopposed by any outside force. With higher bullet velocities and a heavier assembly of barrel, receiver, and iire control mechanism, a free recoil of one-eighth inch may be adequate to permit the bullet to emerge f rorn the barrel before the barrel is stopped. I have not encountered any practical combination which seems to require more than one-half inch offree recoil. As indicated, one-quarter of an inch is a satistastsrv .value for most purposes- A buttstock 31 may be formed with a metallic frame 32 attached to the frame 15 in any suitable way and the exterior surfaces of both frames 15 and 32 may be sui'- faced with walnut Vor other material shaped to the desired Contours Although I have described above a rie which may be used in bench rest competition in the usual manner, I have found that additional support is desirable. Accordingly, I have provided on the buttstock frame 32 a univer-sally mounted shoe plate 32a which may bear upon the top of a shooting bench or level plate thereon and thas establish a iixed elevation level for the buttstock. On the lower surface of the forestock frame 15 I have provided a plate 33 which is parallel to the line of the bore of a barrel supported Von the V-rollers and normal to a line bisecting the angle dened between the V-rollers. This plate may be supported on a pair of parallel rollers 34 mounted on a rest frame 35 which is adapted to be supported on the top of a shooting bench.

The frame 35 is preferably provided with three leveling screw feet 36 by which the frame may be leveled and lhave its elevation adjusted. To insure .that after each shot the arm may be returned to the same position for tiring, I provide on the plate 33 a depending ball 37 which can be entered into the V-notch 38 supported in the frame 35.

In utilizing my invention, I prefer to set up on the top of a rigid, conventional shooting bench and, by a process of successive adjustments of the levelling screws 36 and telescope sight mounted on the barrel, arrive at a setting which willplace the pointof impact of the bullets at the intersection of the telescope cross hairs.

In shooting each shot, the ball 37 is 'entered into the V-notch 38 and with the assembly of barrel, receiver, and fire ,control mechanism in the, fqrlward pssition against the magnetic stop it is carefully aimed with the telescope pointing to the desired point of impact. With such alignment and at a time determined by wind and other variable factors, I may fire the rie with the set trigger At the instant ,0f ring, the. assembly si barrel, receiver, and fire control mechanism is restrained only by the magnet and by gravitational forces holding it down in the Vfrollers. The only outside inuence aiecting the assembly of barrel, receiver, and re control mechanism is the touch. 0n the sst' trigger, 'Whishf properly designed may safely be measured in ounces or fractions thereof and, in any event, should ybe less than the forse required t0. displace the. armature fram. th magnet. Upon firing, the f orce of recoil readily separates the armature from the magnet andthe assembly of barrel, receiver, and fire control mechanism r'ecoils freely in space, guided by the V-rollers and opposed only by inertia and the slight frictionaly forces'of the guiding rollers. Since the assembly of barrel, receiver, and fire control mechanism is substantiallysymmetrical with respect to the bore axis and the only non-'symmet' rical members are the bolt handle, fire control assembly 12, depending block 24,l and the usual loosely mounted telescope sight, there will'be no significant couples vref sulting from inertia forces tending to disturb-V the straight line recoil of the barrel. The rigidity and weight'of the stock unit and the manner of supporting it on 'the bench are such that it is substantially impossible for a shooter to disturb the position of the stockunit and, hence, that of the line of recoilin the brief interval between actuation of the set trigger and the departure of the bullet.. rl`hus, while the bullet is'being guided by the barrel, 'it is substantially free from human inuences. After bullet has departed from the barrel, the recoil' of the assembly of barrel, receiver, and fire control mechanism will be stopped by the recoil plate and the stock unit may also be moved slightly.

Succeeding Vshots are red in the same way, care being taken each time to return the stock unit to the same location on its supports,'to return the assembly of barf rel, receiver, and iire control mechanism to its forward position of engagement with the magnet and to re-v establish conformity of the sights withthe point of desired impact. By the use of this equipment and following this technique, I have found that even relativelynnskilled shooters can produce results which will be 'competitive with those of highly skilled marksnien employ-4 ing conventional equipment.

It may alsol be noted that a plurality of assemblies of barrel, receiver, and tire control mechanism may bensed interchangeably and with equal accuracy in la single stock unit, thus minimining lthe c ost of full participation in the sport. Generally, ries .Qf abOUf. -22 Qalbsf' are sm: ployed in yard competition and rifles of larger caliber are regarded as essential for the longer range con'- tests because of their greater wind-bucking ability.

While I have quite specifically described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it shonld not ferred that I consider my invention limited to that e111; bodiment. For an exact definition 0f the limits upon the scope of my invention, reference may kbe made to the claims following.

I claim:

1. A rie comprising the combination of an assembly including `a ried barrel, a receiver, a lire control mechanism, and longitudinally spaced cylindrical bearing surfaces coaxial with the axis of the barrel; with a stock unit provided with support means providing V-delining members engaging said bearing surfaces and supporting said assembly for straight line recoil relative to said stock unit, said V-dening members each including a pair of axles substantially axially parallel to the corresponding side of the V and a pair of substantially cylindrical rollers rotatably supported on said axles, said rollers engaging said bearing surfaces on said assembly.

2. A rie as described in claim 1, including anti-friction bearings between each of said rollers and its corresponding axle.

3. A rie as described in claim 2, said assembly including a ferro-magnetic element and said stock unit including another ferro-magnetic element exerting an attractive force upon said first ferro-magnetic element, the attractive force tending to releasably retain said assembly in a normal position of rest in said stock unit.

4. A rie as described in claim 3, including a depending recoil plate on said assembly and an abutment in said stock unit in opposition to said recoil plate and in position to stop recoil of said assembly within from oneeighth to one-half an inch from said normal position.

5. A rifle as described in claim 4, said assembly being provided with a depending element having a torque resisting bearing surface axially parallel to said longitudinally spaced bearing surfaces; and resisting means on said stock unit against which the bearing surface on said element may bear to resist the torque reaction resulting from the rotation of a bullet by the rilled barrel.

6. A rifle as described in claim 5, said resisting means on said stock unit comprising a xed axle extending substantially at a right angle to the axis of said torque resisting bearing surface and a roller rotatably mounted on said fixed axle and bearing on said torque resisting bearing surface.

7. A rifle as described in claim 6, said depending element being also provided with an upwardly facing bearing surface parallel to said torque resisting bearing sur- CAD face; and pressure means on said stock unit resiliently exerting a downward pressure on said upwardly facing bearing surface tending to hold said assembly in engagement with said support means in the stock unit.

8. A rie as described in claim 7, said pressure means including a roller journaled on said stock unit making the actual contact with said upwardly facing bearing surface.

9. A rifle as described in claim 1, said assembly being provided with a torque resisting bearing surface radially displaced from the axis of the bore but parallel thereto and resisting means on said stock unit against which said torque resisting bearing surface may bear to resist the torque reaction resulting from the rotation of a bullet by the riiled barrel.

10. A ritle as described in claim 9, said assembly including a ferro-magnetic element and said stock unit including another ferro-magnetic element, one of said ferromagnetic elements being permanently magnetized and positioned to exert an attractive force upon the other ferro-magnetic element tending to retain said assembly in a normal position of rest on said stock unit.

11. A rie as described in claim 10, said assembly being provided with a recoil plate projecting outwardly away from the axis of said barrel and an abutment in said stock unit positioned to be engaged by said recoil plate and limit the recoil of said assembly to a distance between one-eighth and one-half an inch from said normal position of rest.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 499,315 Borchardt June 13, i893 1,337,359 Johnston Apr. 20, 1920 2,378,545 Fraser et al. June 19, 1945 2,479,594 Yasho Aug. 23, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS l 28,656 Great Britain 1910 OTHER REFERENCES Pistols and Revolvers, vol. 1 of the N. R. A. Book of Small Arms by Walter H. B. Smith, copyright 1946, The National Rifle Association, page 603. 

